Black Hole
by Rinko-Chwan
Summary: A reincarnation fic, slight AU and possible spoiler for the recent chapters so far. 20 years have passed since the series of events dubbed as 'Black hole' by the people whereby the tragedy of Sabrie nearly happened again.


A/n: Okay, I've not updated any other story and already this pops out. And I probably don't have time to update anytime soon because exams are coming and won't end till end of year T.T Okay, spoiler alert: I am so sad about what happened in the manga that I had to bring him back There's some stuff that I'll explain at the end of this chapter so before complaining or anything, please read the ending A/n

NOTES: A reincarnation fic, slight AU. May have slight slash warnings in further chapters or just very strong friendship.

Disclaimer: In no way does Pandora Hearts belong to me (if it does, he would still be there)

**Read the ending A/N**

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"I'm sorry Leo..." He woke up with a start. At the age of six, he'd been having weird dreams for as long as he could remember. There was always a weird hollow feeling in his chest, a throbbing in his head and a strange longing his young mind could not comprehend. He had felt like he'd been doing something good. Something noble. Yet why was there so much pain?

The maid heading back to her sleeping quarters past midnight must have heard him for the door swung open. "Young master! Are you okay?" The servants of the house adored him and had been closer to him than his own parents. They tended to forget knocking the door. This had been the second time during the week that he had woken up like that. It wasn't a nightmare, he had insisted but the look in their eye told him that they weren't convinced.

"Perhaps we should tell the madam about this," the maid, Clara, said as she tucked him back into bed.

"No!" He cried out, surprising her, "Don't tell her about it! Please!" Clara still looked unconvinced, he knew she meant well but he didn't want his parents to be alerted. They were, after all, busy people.

"I know you don't want to disturb them, young master, but they should still be notified..." He felt a strange desperation, a sudden need for her not to tell.

"Don't tell them," the words spilled out of his mouth, falling into a trance, "this never happened, go back to your room." Clara's eyes widened for a moment before dulling. She stood up mechanically and left the room.

Feeling as if the wind had been snatched right out of himself, he laid back, unconscious.

The next day, he had watched Clara wearily as his nanny rushed him through his schedule. She merely smiled at him, not a single mention of the previous night. A week later, he deemed that she didn't inform his parents. It was weird. That was the first time he realised he might have the ability to alter others memories.

X

"Elliot, you are to go to Lutwidge's primary section as of next week," his mother, Duchess Lynette, informed 7 years old Elliot Lynette at the breakfast table. It was the morning she and Duke Lynette were to leave to the other side of the country for business for a month. "Your older sister, Vanessa, already in her third year at the primary section will help you get settled into the dorm." Her voice held no room for questions. She was not telling him, she was ordering him.

"Yes mother," he said when it was clear she had said enough. He knew that Lutwidge was the prestigious school that had lasted for around 100 years, even throughout the period known as the 'Black hole' 20 years ago when the tragedy of Sabrie, which happened around 120 years ago, nearly repeated. Elliot knew about it for he loved the stories about what had happened around that time and his nanny usually indulged him in a story or two if he was good. All he knew was about how an organisation called Pandora battled against the Baskervilles. He felt there was more to the story but his nanny only knew the basics, she was still just a servant in the Lynette family at that time.

He was excited to see his sister again. He also had older brothers but they had travelled out of the country for further education and were out of reach for him. He was always closer to his sister where she'd drag him into the garden and point out flowers to him. Even though he didn't understand, she always looked so happy that it made him smile too.

"Young master, your luggage will be packed soon," Clara informed him when he returned to his room at night, his parents had already left. Clara looked hesitant at whether she should pack along his teddy bear too, clearly his mother had told her not to pack anything childish for he was already going to boarding school even at that tender age.

"Its fine, I don't need Reo to sleep at night," he managed to say, as if trying to act tough. The bear was given to him by someone he couldn't remember when he was 3 and he had immediately called it Reo. He slept with it every night and despite the weird dreams, hugging the bear made him feel safer. Clara smiled kindly at him. Sometimes, he wondered whether she'd really forgotten about that night or had just closed one eye. Silently, she packed the bear into the luggage too.

"I thought school was next week?" He asked.

"Yes," she smiled again, "but you have to be settled into the dorm tomorrow. Young mistress Vanessa will be meeting you at the entrance.

"Oh," Elliot said, it was a sudden change, "and mother just told that to me today?"

Clara looked at him apologetically, "she's very busy, it must have slipped her mind to inform you. You should sleep now young master."

She tucked him into the bed. Just as she was about to leave the room he asked, "do you remember about that time you'd come into my room in the middle of the night because I woke up?"

Clara looked startled for a moment, "oh, do you mean that time me and Agatha checked in on you and you were clutching Reo tightly?"

His heart stilled, she really didn't remember, "y-yes. Never mind, good night."

She left the room. He stared at the ceiling, what could this possibly mean?

X

"Elliot!" Vanessa, 3 years older than him, hugged him when he arrived. "My little Elly has grown!"

"Don't call me that!" He blushed as she laughed.

"I'll show you the main school building!" She immediately tugged his arm.

"What about the dorm?"

"The butler will bring it to your room," she said, "I'm not allowed in the boy's dorm so someone else will show you your room later."

He stumbled after his sister as she made her way through the junior section of the ridiculously large school compound.

"Is it true this building has been around since the 'Black hole'?" He asked curiously as she showed him yet another corridor of classrooms.

"It's never really been mentioned before but I think the high school section was around since then," Vanessa said thoughtfully.

"Here's the music room!" She enthusiastically showed him. For the junior section it was a big empty room with just one grand piano. "Music classes are just the teacher playing the piano and everyone singing along. It's the most relaxing class."

Elliot kept his eyes on the piano. Black and slick, a more recent model for it looked brand new. Personally he had no experience or lessons about playing the piano but a corner of his mind always seemed to urge him to touch the piano.

"Is there a library around here?" He asked.

"Oh my, is Elly a bookworm now?" She teased him.

"I was just wondering!"

"Okay, okay. There's only one library and it's at the senior section," she frowned slightly, "I've never been there before."

Elliot looked disappointed. "But you could ask the headmaster later," she quickly added, "you have to see him so that he can assign someone to bring you to your room."

She'd dropped him off at the office entrance, promising to look for him the next day.

"Come in," when the doors opened, a slightly old man with graying long blonde hair greeted him. He wore spectacles and had a warm expression.

"I'm Oscar Vessalius," he said, "the headmaster of the school."

"Vessalius... Are you related to the heroes from the tragedy of Sabrie and the black hole?" Elliot blurted out. Oscar was shocked for a moment at the young light blonde child.

He laughed, "Yes, I am but we aren't here to speak about that. You must be the youngest son from the Lynette family..."

"Elliot! Elliot Ni— Elliot Lynette." He stammered, feeling as if he was about to spout out another name that was so familiar.

"Elliot..." Oscar's eyes seemed to soften a bit, "reminds me of someone my nephew knew." Elliot tilted his head curiously but Oscar had snapped out of his daze and said a teacher at the academy was going to bring him to his new room.

"I know it's not part of how it works here," Oscar said, "but we have an uneven number of boys in the junior section. Your mother mentioned that you're a very independent child so for the time being you're going to have to stay in one room by yourself." Elliot mentally noted that he was glad Clara had still packed Reo in the luggage.

The door suddenly burst open, a flustered looking tall man with slightly long wavy black hair tied back immediately began to apologise, "I'm so sorry I'm late but there was this..."

"Its fine Gilbert," Oscar cut him off, "you're just on time. Meet Elliot Lynette. Elliot, this is Mr. Nightray, he's the teacher in charge for history and basic self defense."

"Nightray..." Elliot knew that name belonged to one of the highest ranking nobles in the past before the system changed and there were more dukes like his own family. However, there was this really strange feeling of nostalgia that overwhelmed him at the sight of the man with golden eyes.

His eyes began to feel suspiciously moist. "O-oh no, am I scaring him?" Gilbert panicked, he'd been a teacher for a few years only but he panicked when the younger students cried.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Elliot immediately rubbed his eyes; he wasn't going to breakdown in front of the headmaster and this teacher. Oscar looked unsure but Elliot seemed determined.

"For the first term," Oscar said before they left, "Mr. Nightray will be your guidance councilor to make sure you settle in."

Elliot nodded and Gilbert led him to the junior section dormitory. An awkward silence hung between them until Elliot spoke.

"Are you really from the Nightray family?" Gilbert flinched slightly, just about ready to take any silly insult that the younger children made without knowing due to their slightly spoilt upbringing. When he had first started, Oscar had offered to let him change his last name but he had refused. Four years later he was beginning to regret that decision but most students liked him for some reason. Perhaps that was because he was lenient.

"Aren't you a noble? Why are you a teacher?"

The boy really seemed different than others, Gilbert thought, or the insults might come later.

"Because being a teacher has its benefits." Elliot looked skeptical.

"Because being a teacher meant a quieter life," Gilbert said softly, after the series of events dubbed as 'Black hole' by the media, he had grown tired, continuing to serve Oz who then decided that they had to contribute back to society thus coming to the academy in which Oscar had been made headmaster.

"Are you related to the black hole event?"

Gilbert knew it. He just knew it would all come down to that, "does me being a Nightray bother you?"

Elliot's icy blue eyes widened, "no, why should it?"

"I-I see..." They walked the final distance in silence.

"If there's any problem just find me or knock next door," Gilbert shifted uneasily at the entrance of a rather large room for a child who was 7 years old. "I'll be in the teacher's dorm in the building right next to here."

"Do... you need help?" Gilbert slowly inched his way out of the room.

"No... Ah! Where's the library?" That startled Gilbert, was the child already thinking about reading when he'd just arrived in school?

"It's on the second floor of the senior section... Do you want me to show you the way?" Feeling that it was best not to leave the young child searching around the big building, Gilbert led him.

The library was spacious with books ranging from picture books to encyclopedias. As it was the week before school reopens, there was hardly anyone there. "Do you need me to lead you back or accompany you?"

"I'll be fine," Elliot said confidently.

Gilbert looked unsure, "Are you sure?"

"I'm fine," Elliot insisted.

"O-okay," Gilbert had never thought Elliot was stubborn, "if you need any help just ask the librarian Liam. He should be here... Somewhere... Unless Break dragged him off..."

Elliot looked confused at the sudden introduction of names. "Liam is the school librarian, the most efficient guy around and usually around here. Break is... Mr. Break teaches history and sometimes cooking in the senior block, you don't have to know him but he frequently comes here to bother Liam. Either way if you need any help just find him. Liam, not Break."

Elliot nodded slowly, trying to absorb the information as Gilbert left, often throwing worried looks back. Elliot walked among the tall bookshelves that seemed to tower over him. He was looking for his favourite series 'Holy Knight' which had a hiatus a long time ago but was up and running again. Agatha, the kind kitchen lady usually read the book to him when she was free because Elliot still couldn't understand how to read most of the words.

The library was so big he was beginning to doubt he could find the book. He walked and walked, delving deeper into the library, eventually reaching a rather secluded area. There was one big long window where soft orange light illuminated the library, an indication that the sun would set soon. Elliot's stomach growled, in all the hustle he had missed his lunch and dinner was fast approaching.

He was about to try and leave, determined to return another day to find the book, when a figure sitting by the window caught his eye. The other was wearing what seemed to be the uniform of the academy and he looked to be around 16. He had slightly long black hair that seemed to stick out, barely tamed but still assembled in a presentable manner. His back faced Elliot, looking out to the front yard in which the window faced.

Elliot wondered for a moment whether that was Liam but Liam was the librarian, as Mr. Nightray had said and he didn't think that librarians were students.

"Are you Liam the librarian?" He asked. He had apparently startled the other who nearly toppled down from where he sat. Black eyes of reflected light met his blue ones. They seemed so familiar, like a weird ache in his chest, reaching out...

The teen smiled, taking in the young child's appearance, "are you lost?"

Elliot frowned, "you never answered my question. So are you the librarian?"

The teen shook his head, "No, Liam has been dragged off somewhere by Break."

"Oh," Elliot said thoughtfully, "so what Mr. Nightray said was true."

The teen looked at him in a questioning manner. "He's the one who showed me where the library is."

"So you're new?"

Elliot nodded, finding that it was rather easy to converse with the older boy, "I'm Elliot Lynette."

For a split second, the teen looked sad but it was quickly replaced by a smile, "I see."

"Aren't you going to tell me your name? It's basic courtesy."

"It's Leo."

"You have the same name as my bear," Elliot said out loud before becoming flustered, "I-I mean my bear's name is Reo but... It's not like I still need a bear to sleep... It's..." Leo laughed. It's been such a long time since he'd laughed because he was happy but it came naturally to him.

"A-anyway, I should go..."

"Were you looking for something?"

"How'd you know?" Elliot asked, amazed.

"You should be if you were to come to the library before school starts and you aren't holding any book."

"I'm looking for the Holy Knight series but its fine even if I don't find them; I'm not exactly... old enough to understand all the words in the book yet..."

Leo thought for a while, "I'll read them to you if you want." It wasn't like he had anything better to do and the young boy with the same name as he precious person intrigued him. The first in 20 years. It's been so long but he held on to those memories tightly. Leo had been waiting all those years. The promise to be kept after the 'Black hole' event. His precious person would be reborn and when he was of the same age as how Leo looked, they'd both grow up together. Until then, Leo never aged. The only flaw was that the promise didn't determine how long would it be for him to be reborn and whether or not Leo could fine him. If he couldn't find him, he was to stay immortal and live in anguish for eternity of never reuniting with his precious person.

"Really?" Elliot's blue eyes looked hopeful, snapping Leo out of his thoughts. He smiled at the younger boy who somehow reminded him of the past.

Leo walked to find the book, a place he knew well for he had re-read the series multiple times throughout the years. He nearly tripped when he felt an extra weight at the end of his school jacket. Smiling gently when Elliot looked at the floor, face red, hand gripping the end of Leo's jacket. He was, after all, just a child who was 7 years old. It was natural for him to have been afraid after walking around endless rows of bookshelves by himself. The tough front the boy had was just a facade.

Leo said nothing, prying Elliot's hand off his jacket and instead, holding onto his hand. Elliot's hand was small and warm in the chilly spring evening and even though his face was red, Elliot held on to Leo's hand. A strange sense of belonging and familiarity enveloped them. A feeling neither could decipher.

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A/n: Firstly, sorry for any grammer or tense or spelling mistakes. I'll re-read this another time when I have time. Next, I think that Elliot and the rest may seem out of character. First of all, a lot of years passed already thus they might be more mature (or something) also, Elliot here is just a child so I find it hard to make his character seem like how he is in the manga. At least for the beginning. I also know that he may seem slightly more mature for his age (kind of contradicting myself) but being brought up by nobles, I thought he'll act more mature but deep down he isn't. Due to his upbringing, he also manages to use a wider range of vocab than most his age. At least all that makes sense in my head.

Also, the sudden lack of development regarding his ability wasn't exactly planned but he doesn't exactly know how to use it and is still very confused about it thus pushing that problem aside. Hopefully one that'll clear up in further chapters to come (which won't be anytime soon). Reviews will be greatly appreciated.


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